


Loss

by shadowolfhunter



Category: White Collar
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Permanent Disability, serious injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 11:16:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3065828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowolfhunter/pseuds/shadowolfhunter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter and Neal had been on the outs for some time. Peter couldn't forgive Neal's transgressions. Then when Peter casually hands Neal over to Rice, something happens that changes the course of Neal's life. Peter battles his own conscience and wonders if Neal will ever forgive him. Is this truly the end of their friendship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Loss

Peter sat on the floor and held Neal as close to his chest as physically possible, stared down at what he could see of Neal’s face, his tear-stained cheek, and prayed that this decision would pass from him.

“Sir?” the paramedic’s voice was low, “we need to move now.”

He could feel Rice hovering in the background, Ruiz was somewhere around too, but Peter couldn’t think about them right now, his whole being was focused on Neal.

He thought of all the times he had told Neal to cowboy up. All the times he had treated a man he had called friend one minute and felon the next as less than the loving, gentle, gifted, surprisingly innocent young man he was. Loaning him out to Rice as though he was a toy rather than a human being.

The first time she had him, Rice had used Neal as the tethered goat without regard to his safety. Peter Burke should have known better the second time around.

It had been a difficult year so far, Peter was finding it hard to forgive and forget the whole Hagan debacle, he was suspicious of Neal’s every move. So when Rice had come begging, he’d just handed Neal over once again.

Only this time it was much, much worse.

One way out of this situation, a way so terrible that bile rose in Peter’s throat every time he tried to speak.

This time the consequences of Peter’s actions were going to change Neal’s life and there was absolutely nothing Peter could do to stop it.

The damned anklet, a situation that Neal should never have been in, heavy machinery and Neal was in agony.

Peter cleared his throat. Opened his mouth to speak, choked and then nodded.

Mercifully, Neal was unconscious. Peter wondered if the younger man would ever find it in his heart to forgive Peter; because Peter wasn’t sure if he could ever forgive himself.

So he held on tightly to his unconscious CI, and tried not to look as Neal’s future was being decided for him.

Lose Neal, or lose Neal’s left leg below the knee.

Tears rolled down Peter’s face as he thought about the time they had lost and would never have again.


End file.
